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(No Model.)

J. H.'REYNOLDS 8v G. GERDOM.`

GAR BRAKE. 4 l No. 393,722. I l Patented Nov. 27, 1888. l l

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J i 'l 1 l' n, PETERS. Pmn-mnugnpher. wasmngnm o. c,

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. REYNOLDS, OF TROY, AND GREGORY GERDOM, OF VEST TROY, NEW YORK; SAID GERDOM ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH HIS RIGHT TO SAID REYNOLDS.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,722, dated November 27, 1888.

Application tiled September 18, 1888. Serial No. 285.672. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Bc it known that we, J OHN I-I. REYNOLDS, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer-and State of New York, and GREGORY GERDOM, of WVest Troy, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented vcertain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in brake mechanisms for railway-cars; and the ob- ]ect ol' our improvements is to provide facilities for utilizing the momentive power of the movlng cars for the purpose of operating the brakes. This object we attain by the mechan- 1sml illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to, and form part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is an inverted plan view of the bottom framing of a car containing ourinvention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the saine at the line X X.

As represented in the drawings, Ais the bottom frame of a car, which frame-work may be varied in any manner to suit the purpose for which the car may be designed; B, the carwheels, secured in the usual manner to the axles O and C; D, a hollow or outer friction-r cone (shown in section in Fig. l) provided with an elongated hub, l, and secured to the axle C; E, an inner friction-cone fitted to slide into and engagein frictional contact with the hollow friction-cone D. The cone E is loosely fitted onto the hub l, so as to permit the latter to revolve freely in the hub 2 of the cone E. The latter is `provided on its outer face with a stud, 3, xed therein Or formed thereon, as may be preferred, and to said stud one end of a chain, F, is secured. The opposite end of said chain is connected by links 4 to opposite ends of a friction-band, G,whieh surrounds a grooved friction-wheel, H, thatis secured to the axle C.

A collar, I, is secured to the axle C at sufficient distance from the hub l of the conel E to permit the two wed ge-pieces J, when either or both ofthe latter are drawn back, to lie in the space between the collar I and hub 2 without crowding the cone E into the cone D. The wedge-pieces J are bifurcated to span the axle C, or,when preferred, the hub 1, so that each wedge-piece will have one limb above and another below said axle, and by this distribution of the limbs we counteract any tendency of the collar I and hub 2 to d raw said wedge-pieces inwardly when they (the wedge-pieces)are moved into frictional contact with said'collarand hub. The two wedgepieces .I are arranged in 'rcversed directions, as shown in Fig. 1, and each is provided with a rod, 5, which forms a component part thereof. Said rods extend toward opposite ends of the car, where each is connected to its appropriate hand-lever K,so that each of said levers can only operate the wedgepiece to which it is connected. The hand-levers K are each provided with a graduated quadrant, L, so that the degree of frictional contact between the friction-cones D and E can be varied to suit the occasion.

-The operation of our brake mechanism is as follows: lVhile the wedge-pieces J are drawn back, as shown in Fig. l, the friction-cone E will remain separated from the conc D, so that wheels B can revolve freely without affecting the braking mechanism; but when itbecomes necessary to apply the brakes by moving either of the levers K to force its connected wedge-piece J inwardly, so that it will coact with the opposite wedge-piece to force the cone E into frictional contact with the cOneD, the cone E will instantly begin .to revolve with the axle C, and therebythe chain F will be drawn to close the band G snugly around the friction-wheel H, until, by the shorteningaction of said chain, produced by the rotations of the cone E, sufficient resistance is developed to stop the wheelsBfrom revolving. By drawing the wedge-piece J back to itsl normal position the cones D and E will be separated and the wheels B will be at liberty to revolve.

WVe are aware that friction-couplings have heretofore been employed for operating brake mechanisms on railway cars; but in such prior constructions said couplings have been combined with lother intermediate instrumentalities differing in their construction and mode of operation from the combination of parts herein shown and described. We do not broadly claim the use of friction-couplings for operating car-brakes; but

We claim as our invention- 1. In a car-brake, the combination Of a friction-coupling having one of its cones secured IOO to one of the axles ofthe car, the complementary conc of said coupling being loosely fitted on said axle and connected to afriction-band, which is fitted to clamp arou nd a friction-Wheel secured t-o an adjacent axle of the same car, and a Wedging mechanism, which is tted to slide between the loose cone of the frictioncoupling,and zi collar secured to the axle which carries said coupling, as and for the purpose herein specied.

2. In a car-brake, the combination of n friction-cone, D, and a Collin-,1, both secured to the axle O, a loose friction-cone, E, adapted to engage in I'rictional contact with the cone D,

a friction-wheel, H, secured to the axle C and r 5 provided with a. clamping-band, G, which is connected to the cone E, the oppositely-arranged Wedge-pieces J, interposed between the cone E and collar I and adapted to force the cone E into fricbional contact with the cone D, 2o and the operating-levers K, connected to said Wedge-pieces, as and for the purpose herein specied.

JOHN H. REYNOLDS. GREGORY GERDOM. Vitncsses:

WILLIAM H. LOW, S. B. BREWER. 

